Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-06
TWO YEARS RECORD.
PRESIDENT C|LEyELANDS ATTITUDE To-
WARD THE SOLDIERS
More Benefits Extended TO the Veterans During HIS
Administration Than During TweHt!-Four
Years Of Republican As
c~e1da0Cy.

WASHINGTON, October In the last
presidential campaign II Was loudly pro-
claimed by the Republican party that the
continuance Of our pension system depend
ed upon their success at the polls. That
argument lost its weight when after two
years it was demonstrated that President
Cleveland had given n cleaner and better
administration in general, and OF the pen
sion laws in particular than the country
has bad a quarler Of a century.
Many comrades are asking If the crusade
now BENG made against the president is
really Oh account OF his pension VetOes, or
is il a preconcerted movement against the
Democratic administration. The president
has always shown adeep sense O fthe sacred
debt due these defenders Of a grateful
country. But Republicans have seen tit
to make the onslaught upon his admins
tration of the pension laws. The DEM
ocratic party can accept the issue and 20
before the country upon the record.
To begin with President Cleveland APP
proved the act of August /, lSs6, lncreas-
ing the pension Of IL, 900 manned veterans
from S2i to $50, from $50 to $50 and from
| S37. 50 to S45 per month. He approved
| the act of March ~, 1SS6, which increased
| from 81 to $l2 per month the pension of
| 20, $50 widows and dependents. These
| 70. $50 certificates for the relief OF soldiers
widows, dependent mothers and fathers
were. by the humane and extraordinary
/ efforts OF the Commissioner Of Pensions,
/ issued without one cent of expense to these
deserving beneiciaries or . moments un-
necessary delay, and with no hindrance TO
other Just claims pending before the office.
This extra work WAS accomplished m the
amazingly short period Of three months,
Cleveland approved the act OF May II,
1889, amending the records of the War De
partment as to the charge of desertion, re-
| iieyinC thousand of unfortunate veterans Of
the hardships worked by the resting Of
charges against them based upon technical
errors in the record. He approved the set
of January %, lSS7, h~enehting over 80
900 survivors and soldiers widows of the
! Mexican war.
FEDERAL SOLDIERS IL OFFICE.
Cleveland has appointed fifteen distin-
guished ex-Union soldiers to the great
~rension agencies, many of which places
were formerly held by civilians, active
politicians Of the Republican pSrty, who
welded their influence for their party,s
advantage. Another OF his appointments
is the widow of the gallant Irish American
soldier, Colonel James A. Mulligan.
In addition, that the interest Of the sol
der IA well as Of the government might be
taken care OF, lie hss placed the following
veteran soldiers at the head Of the Pension
Office, q bureau more than any other iden'
titled with the soldier interests: Commits
siouer General John c. Black, who entered
the army as q private soldier, passed
through all the grades, was breveted briga-
dier general upon the battlefield, served
from the firing on Fort Sumter to the sur
render at A~ppOmattOy, and was severely
wounded. Instead Of two civilians as
deputies, Colonel William E. Mclean, OF
the Forty-third Indiana, and General
Joseph J. Bartlett, of the Army of the Po-
tomac, were appointed. The great medi-
cal boards throughout the country are off,
eered almost entirely by old army sur
2SOGR-
A Democratic administration has APP
pointed more ex-UniOn soldiers 10 office
than Ans predecessor. As IA earnest OF
this the rolls of the pension office alone
show that cut Of l,540 employees $40, or
5Sl per cent, are either soldiers and sail
OEs, " their widows, sons and daughters,
while Only so are civilians. Three hun
dred and seventy soldiers or their kindred
occupy the higher positions, paying 81, 2O9
q year and upwards, against 293 civilians,
q difference in favor OF the soldiers Of IS,
or p per cent.
Out Of 4t6 appointments made by Gen
eral Black, from March IL, 1885, to June
%, ISL, 80 were soldiers or soldiers
kindred, and lS6 were civilians, a net diff
hsfenas in favor Of the soldier Of "a, or
nearly "a Psr cent Genera Black has ap-
pointed % ex-pnioR Soldjers in excess of
The total number dropped from ths roll
by death, discharge, resignation or other
wise. And this, with $50 employees less
than were on ths rolls during the last IFS
cal year OF the Previous administration.
would make = net difference in favor of
the soldier Of 1871, which, upon the basis
s OF the total number upon the pay.rolls
the last fiscal year, would leave at present
almost IL per cent more soldiers, sailors.